Useful information to travel to Morocco

If you are thinking of traveling to Morocco probably be interested to read these tips. Morocco offers the visitor a destination that combines as few mountain, desert, coast, customs and
ancestral tribes, cities steeped in history, only 14 km and connected with the main European airports is the door to a continent that Morocco is one of its best exponents, a country that has much
to offer, who will tell everything you need to travel on the High Atlas mountains and desert.

MOROCCO: useful information

Passport / DNI:

To enter Morocco you need a valid passport for a minimum of 3 months.

Situation: Morocco, is located at the extreme northwest of Africa, only 14 kms. from Spain, crossing the Strait of Gibraltar. It borders Algeria to the east, Mauritania to the south,
the Atlantic Ocean to the west and the Mediterranean Sea to the north.

Language: The official language is Arabic, but a significant minority of the population speaks Berber. Because of its colonial past, French and Spanish are spoken.

Religion: Mostly Muslim, with Jewish and Christian minorities.

Climate: The climate in Morocco differs according to the height and the region: Mediterranean to the north, temperate to the west and desert to the south. The climate, from May to October,
is mild on the coast of Morocco, with pleasant temperatures and sunny days. The winters are soft and sunny. The temperature of the sea remains cool all year round on the Atlantic
coast. Morocco is sometimes swept by the Sirocco and the Cherguí: dry and scorching wind from the Sahara that considerably increases temperatures, mainly in the interior of the
country. The winter is cold and irrigated in the mountainous regions of Morocco with snowfall in the Atlas. In the vicinity of the Sahara, dry winds can increase the temperature to 45 °
C (in the month of August).

Clothing: It is advisable to bring light clothes for the day and something warm for the nights, especially in the interior, in the south and if you travel between September and March.

Currency and exchange:

The Dirham (Dh) is the Moroccan currency.

There are bills of 10, 50, l00 and 200 Dirhams; coins of 1, 5, 10 and 20 Dirhams

And coins of 5, 10, 20 and 50 cents.

1 Euro = 11.3 Moroccan Dirham approx

You can change money in Dirhams at airports, ports. Many hotels in big cities also have exchange service.

The import of currencies is free. Amounts equivalent to 50,000 dhs or more must be declared upon arrival in Morocco.

Credit cards are generally accepted at supermarkets, boutiques and restaurants, and sometimes even in the souks.

You can withdraw money at the Banks with a credit card or with checks, or directly at some ATMs.

Electricity:

220 V in new buildings, and sometimes 110 V in old buildings and plugs are European type

Time reference: the time in Morocco corresponds to that of Greenwich GMT (2 hours less than in Spain) for much of the year. In summer the time is GMT + 1 Time.

Holidays: the Gregorian calendar (festive Sunday) is used for civil use.

National holidays:

01/01 New Year.

11/01 Manifesto of Independence.

01/05 Labor Party.

30/07 Throne Festival.

14/08 Festival of Oued Eddahab.

20/08 Revolution of the King and the People.

21/08 Feast of Youth

06/11 Green March Party

18/11 Feast of Independence.

The religious holidays: they are governed by the Muslim lunar calendar, for which they change the date every year.

Aid the Adha (feast of the Lamb)

Fatih Moharam, the first of the Hijra (Muslim year)

Aid Al Fitr (the end of the month of Ramadan)

The Mulud (Anniversary of the Birth of the Prophet Muhammad)

Opening times:

Weekdays for administrations, companies, and banks are from Monday to Friday.

Administrations: Winter: 08h30 - 12h00 and 14h30 - 16h30.

Summer: 8h00 - 15h00

Banks: Winter: 08:30 - 12:30 and 14:15 - 16:30.

Summer: 8:30 - 11:30 and from 2:15 - 4:30.

The supermarkets open from Monday to Sunday: 10h00 - 22h00.

The most popular shops (medina, souk, and street markets) are open, every day, until sunset. We must bear in mind that the flexibility of the hours of the shops, is one of the
characteristics of Morocco since the shops adapt to the demand.

During the month of Ramadan, a continuous schedule of 9-15 hours is applied.

Taxis:

The "Petit Taxi", (maximum 3 people), are very economical, they are recognized by bright colors that are different in each city.They only circulate inside the city and, for example, will not take
you to the airports far from the center like in Casablanca. They can also carry other passengers, who carry the same road. Discuss the price before leaving if the vehicle does not have
an accountant.

The "taxis", large, (maximum 6 people), can be collective or individual, ensure commuter communications and around large cities and interurban trips. It is advisable to set the price in
advance.